Waste retainer



OCt- 15,` 1940. w. M. PHILLIPS 2,218,436

WASTE RETAINER Filed March 24, 1938 SIMM/MM `Patented Oct. 15 1.940

UNITED STATES,

PATENT -oFFic-E 2,218,436 WASTE'RETAINER William M. Phillips, Macon, Ga.

Application March 24, 1938, Serial N0. 197,925

.1 claim. (cl.- sos- 89) This invention relates to railroad rolling stock c and has special reference to a waste retainer for the journal boxes of railroad cars.

In such journal boxes it is customary to pack the box with grease-impregnated waste for lubrication purposes.` The packing fills the lower part of the box and extends up around the lower part of the journal to a horizontal plane about onev inch below the axis of the journal. Under service conditions it' sometimes happens that a small portion of the waste is carried around by the journal and lodges between the brass and thel surface of the journal. When this occurs great heat is frictionally generated and the waste is set on re. This results in what is commonly known as a hotbox, a condition frequently causing such damageto the journal and its bearing as to require the replacement or repair of both, resulting in expense and an interruption to service. It also happens that the Waste works outalong the journal and accumulates at its outer end with the result that it forces the journal box cover or lid open. i i

It is the principal object of the present invention toprovide novel means for preventing a hot box, by holding the waste in proper position in the journal box so as to prevent its being carried around by the journal, at the same time preventing the waste from accumulating at the lid or cover opening.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a'novel device forthe purpose above set forth which is readily applicable to the usual standard journal box and; when so applied, will hold the mass of waste wherewith the box is packed in the bottom portion of the box below the door level, but in contact with the journal.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel device for the purpose which is constructed of a single length of spring wire so constructed and arranged that it may be readily inserted in and withdrawn from a journal box and when so inserted will be retained against accidental displacement by certain features of the usual journal box construction.

'With the above and other objects in view as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appende claim. f

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views,` and- Flgure 1 is a vertical median longitudinal section through a standard journal box and showing the applicationv of the invention thereto,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 ure 1,

c Figure 4 is a plan view of the waste-retaining device removed from the box, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device, as 10 shown in Figure 4.

In the drawing the invention isvshown associated with a standard journal box having a body lll provided at its outer end with an opening Il normally closed by a spring-pressed cover or lid l5 I2 which is hung from hinge lugs at the top of the box, one of these lugs being shown at i3. At its opposite end the box is provided with an opening i4 so that the journal l5 of a car axle I6 may be inserted in the box. Theside walls of the 20 box have vertical grooves l1 adjacent the opening i4 and in these grooves is fitted a dust washer I8 which closely surrounds the axle end adjacent the journal I5. The upper segment ofthe journal l5 is seated in the concave face of a journal 25 brass I9 and the latter is held in proper spaced relation to the top of the box by the wedge 20. The box is provided at the front-part of the top with the stop lugs 2| for limiting forward movement of the wedge 20 and the wedge 20 and brass 30 I9 are positioned in the box between spacer ribs 22 formed on the inner faces of the side walls of the box. In service the bottom of the box is filled with a mass of grease-impregnated waste 23 to a height sufficient to surround the lower 35 segment of the journal, the upper surface of the mass being slightly below the lower edges of the door opening Il.

All of the parts above described are those common to the Master Car Builders Standard journal .5 is a section on the line 6 3 of Fig- `box and are here described merely to make clear the present invention.

The waste retainer forming this invention is here shown as constructed from a single length of spring wire of any suitable metal such as steel, 45 brass or other spring material. As formed this Wire comprises a straight central portion 24 from each end of which the wire extends forwardly at 25 for a short distance and then is extended backwardly at 26, the two portions 26 being substantially parallel. The portions 24, 25 and 26 lie in a common plane and the front ends of the portions 26 together with the portions 25 and 24 cooperate to form what maybe termed a transversely extending presser member while the re- 55 malnders of the portions 26 form lateral and longitudinally extending presser members as will be presently understood when the use of the device is described. From the rear ends of the portions 28 the wire curves upwardly and forwardly as at i internal width of the journal box. Furthermore,

the normal distance of the tips 30 of the ends 29 from the planeof the parts 24, 25 and 28 is substantially greater than the space between the top of the box and the waste when the box is properly packed.

In use the device is placed in the journal box through the opening Il so that the portions 21 abut against the dust washer I8, at opposite sides of the journal, the portions 26 being permitted to rest upon the waste 23, at opposite sides of the journal, while the portions 24 and 25 rest upon the same at the end of the journal. The tips 30 of the portions 29 will then be permitted to spring upwardly so asto engage the rear sides of the lugs 2l and top of the journal box, as clearly shown in Figure 1. It will be seen that the dust washer I8 will prevent movement of the device longitudinally of the journal in one direction, while the lugs 2| will prevent its movement in the opposite direction. It will also be seen that constant pressure will be `applied to the waste due to the fact that the tips 30 engage the journal box top. By this means the waste is held securely in the bottom of the box and can neither be carried around by the revolution ci the journal nor creep forwardly to force open the lid or cover I2.

To remove the waste retainer, as when repacking a box, the ends 29 are pulled down to free the tips 30 from the lugs 2| and the portion 24 is raised above the lower edge of the door opening whereupon the device may be easily pulled out of the box.

There has thus been provided a simple and enicientfdevice of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and proportions of the invention without departing from the material principles involved. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all forms which come within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed, is: A

The combination with a journal box having wedge stop lugs, a journal surrounded by a dust washer being supported in said box, said box containing waste in engagement with the journal, of a waste retainer positioned within the journal box and comprising a pair of straight longitudinally extending presser members engaging the dust washer at their inner ends and engaging the waste at opposite sides of the journal, a transverse presser member positioned inwardly of and connected to the forward ends of the rstnamed presser members and engaging the waste at the end of the journal, and spring arms diverging forwardly and upwardly from the rear ends of the longitudinally extending presser members, said spring arms having upwardly bent portions engaging behind the wedge stop lugs.

" WILLIAM M. PHILLIPS. 

